Vote on Operational Enterprise Agreement deferred

CFA Chief Executive Officer, Frances Diver, announced today that the vote on the proposed Operational Enterprise Agreement (EA) will be deferred until the outcome of the Supreme Court action is determined.

CFA has agreed it will not put the EA to a vote of operational staff until the Court has made its determination.

CFA's Board decided on Friday to put the EA to a vote of operational staff. The access period, in which staff review the agreement in preparation for voting, began on Monday.

However, Ms Diver said that the action taken by the Volunteer Fire Brigades of Victoria (VFBV) to bring the matter before the Supreme Court was a disappointing development that will delay the resolution of the bargaining dispute and this impacts CFA's volunteers and career firefighters.

'This ongoing dispute has been damaging enough for our people,' she said.

Ms Diver said CFA did not wish to unnecessarily prolong what has become an emotional debate. 'We are now required to defer the vote and have asked that the VFBV action be heard in Court as a matter of urgency, in the best interests of CFA members and staff'.

The summer fire season is approaching, and the CFA Board has acted decisively to give communities certainty by advising CFA's Chief Officer, Steve Warrington, that he has full authority over all volunteers and career firefighters to protect public safety. 'We are focused and ready. It is time to concentrate on what we do best - protecting lives and property,' Ms Diver said.

The CFA Board stands by its decision that progressing the EA is the best way forward for the organisation.